Any of our members with a strong vision for how we can tackle the current problems our sector is facing and the ability to communicate this vision effectively are welcome to apply to be a Technical Champion.

By joining us as a Technical Champion we hope you enjoy the opportunity to network with other likeminded professionals and have your work shared widely.

Candidates need to meet at least two of the below criteria: 

• Been a CIHT member or fellow for two years
• Minimum five years’ experience in a relevant topic area
• Current evidence of CPD
• Evidence of relevant experience for the roles they are applying to 
• External verification 

Register your interest here and a member of CIHT Staff will contact you to discuss the next steps of your application. 

There are many projects Technical Champions can be involved with at CIHT. These cover three general areas- influencing policy and technical outputs, knowledge sharing and reviewing content, with varying degrees of commitment associated with each area. We understand that your ability to volunteer your time to CIHT will vary throughout the year and we hope that you will be able to find something that suits your interests and levels of involvement.

Influencing CIHT's Policy and Technical Outputs 

Technical Champions can be part of expert groups that advise CIHT's Policy and Technical Team on reports, policy briefs, consultation responses or technical documents that address the issues the sector is currently facing. These projects usually run over multiple months and could take up 5 to hours spread over the duration of the specific projects. To recognise the effort and time you have volunteered, you will be listed as an expert contributor in our outputs. 

Knowledge Sharing

As a Learned Society, part of CIHT’s mission is to generate and share knowledge through a range of mediums such as blog posts, podcasts and webinars. Technical Champions are invited to suggest topics for these knowledge exchange activities or to contribute to them directly by writing content and being interviewed. These activities could take 1-2 hours of your time. We also approach our Technical Champions to speak at external events and other opportunities as they arise throughout the year.

Reviewing Content

We rely on Technical Champions' insights into real-world sector challenges. Technical champions can be asked to review  technical reports, CPD frameworks, consultation responses, or CIHT Learn courses to ensure maximum value for the highways and transportation sector. These tasks  typically take about an hour each.

You can register your interest here and we will be in contact to provide you with more information on this year's specific activities. 

Jonathan Spear is a Transport Policy and Strategy Advisor, FCIHT and CTPP, currently based in Dubai, UAE. I am a Former-Chair of CIHT UAE and currently Policy Lead on the Committee.
 He has over 30 years’ experience advising mainly public sector clients on national, regional and local transport policies, strategies, delivery models, regulation and governance. The first half his career was in the UK with other more recent positions in the Middle East, China and South East Asia. As well as CIHT, Jonathan is active in industry research and technical knowledge sharing through the World Road Association, PIARC. 

Being a CIHT Technical Champion allows me to ask some of the big questions at the cutting edge of highways and transport, such as climate action, disruptive technologies and new mobility models, something which is incredible fulfilling, challenging and vital for the future of our sector.

Juan is currently a Senior Sustainability Engineer at Foster + Partners in London, UK, acting as the in-house expert in infrastructure resilience. Specialised in urban resilience and adaptation of civil infrastructure to climate change, he has worked supporting cities around the world on climate and sustainability issues, working on cutting-edge projects, proposals and knowledge products. Juan is a civil engineer with a PhD from the University of Cambridge in climate change adaptation planning of urban road infrastructure and a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv). Applying his expertise, he is currently a UK's Young Professional Representative at the Planning the Resilience of Road Networks – Climate Change and Other Hazards Technical Committee from the World Road Association (PIARC).

I joined the Technical Champions at CIHT since I really want to promote sustainability and resilience in the transport sector of the UK, educate other professionals on infrastructure resilience, and contribute to the development of a community of transport and infrastructure resilience practitioners.

Rachel has spent the last 27 years working in the public and private sectors in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, with a proven track record in advisory and assurance roles for Governments. 

Her experience spans developing billion-dollar transport strategies and business cases, the delivery of ‘nationally significant’ schemes, bus franchising and development management. 

She won the CIHT Road Safety award for increasing walking to school from 38% to 92% in Cornwall, has given two TEDx talks and is the author of the award-winning book Decongestion. 

Joining the Technical Champions is a great way to give back, help shape policy and work with peers across the industry

Phil is a Chartered Engineer with extensive experience in the planning and design of transport infrastructure and specialising in the link between street and urban design. Phil is Founder and Chairman of PJA, a 175-strong firm carrying out transport, engineering, environment and placemaking projects.  Over the last decade he has focused on active travel, helping to produce key guidance documents such as Local Transport Note 1/20 on cycle infrastructure.

I’d very much encourage CIHT members to apply to become Technical Champions.  It’s a great way to keep up with and help influence emerging policies and new developments, and to give something back to the profession.

Camille is a skilled senior engineer with a strong track record in delivering active travel projects across Scotland, covering RIBA Stages 0 to 4. Her core competencies include detailed design development, public engagement, and transport modelling. She is committed to promoting inclusive and accessible design in the built environment.

As a qualified Road Safety Audit Team Member, Camille brings a thoughtful and proactive approach to project delivery. Her contributions to the sector were recognised with the CIHT Scotland Emerging Professional of the Year award in 2023

Joining opportunities like the CIHT Technical Champions allows you to bring your unique perspective to the table, connect with others who share your passion, and help shape a more inclusive and innovative future for transport.

I’m a transport professional with over a decade of experience supporting local authorities in the delivery of local traffic improvements, highway maintenance, and transport planning. I’ve developed a particular specialism in stakeholder engagement and communication strategies supporting active travel interventions, alongside technical delivery of Traffic Regulation Orders – including Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders, and Temporary Orders & Notices.

Becoming a CIHT Technical Champion is about helping the profession understand its journey – where we’ve started from, and where we will go together. Or, in the words of Terry Pratchett, “if you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, then you don’t know where you’re going.

I’m a Product Owner at Causeway Technologies, helping infrastructure owners and local authorities improve how they manage highways, planning, and public engagement through a digital platform solution. With nearly two decades of experience in transport policy and technology—including roles at National Highways—I’m passionate about using data, design, and automation to make infrastructure smarter, safer, and more responsive to public needs.

Being a CIHT Technical Champion lets me give back to a profession that’s shaped my career—and help others navigate the intersection of transport and technology.

I am the Global Practice Lead for Transport Planning at Mott MacDonald. My role involves helping ensure Motts makes the best use of our transport planning knowledge and experience wherever it sits across the organisation. My particular interest and area of focus is in travel demand management and behaviour change. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity of putting this into practice in a wide variety of situations and locations during my career.

Being a Technical Champion at the CIHT provides an excellent opportunity to share the knowledge and experience I have gained whilst also still continuing to learn from others.

I am a Technical Champion for CIHT, with expertise in road safety, traffic engineering, and transport planning, having led numerous mega projects across Qatar and Saudi Arabia. My role involves advancing industry standards, mentoring professionals, and driving innovation in transportation solutions. I am passionate about creating safer, more efficient transport systems that enhance communities.

I enjoy being a Technical Champion for CIHT because it allows me to shape the future of transportation through collaboration and innovation.

Ann Carruthers is Director of Environment and Transport for Leicestershire County Council responsible for all highways, transport, environment and waste services. She leads a team of 1,000 people operating a predominantly in-house delivery model. 

Prior to this Ann worked with local authorities across Scotland and England and also spent a number of years as National Travel Demand Manager with Transit New Zealand responsible for introducing sustainable transport options across New Zealand’s state highway system.    

Ann is Immediate Past President of ADEPT (Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transport, Chair of Midlands Highway Alliance+ and a member of the Highways Sector Council.